Abstract
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) examines the biological and behavioral pathways whereby psychosocial factors may influence the course of chronic medical conditions, including HIV/AIDS. This chapter summarizes PNI research conducted examining the possible role of negative life events (including bereavement), stress reactivity, personality factors, cognitive appraisals, and affective states (depression) in HIV illness progression. Because much of this research was conducted in the era prior to the advent of effective antiretroviral therapy, important questions remain regarding whether there the associations of psychosocial factors with HIV illness progression are independent of medication adherence and persistence. There is also increasing recognition that chronic viral infections such as HIV have neuropsychiatric effects, and more recent PNI research has focused on studying the bidirectional communication between the immune system and central nervous system in HIV. Future research should focus on obtaining definitive answers to these questions to inform the development of novel approaches for reducing psychiatric symptoms and optimizing health outcomes among persons with HIV.